One of the 10 young men selected to participate in the Government’s military-style academy pilot has already allegedly reoffended.
The revelation comes on the same day Parliament is expected to debate legislation that would make the academy programme permanent.
That’s happening despite concerns from the likes of the Children’s Commissioner and survivors of abuse in state care about the so-called boot camps.
Both the Greens and Labour are renewing calls for the minister to pause that legislation until after the pilot can be thoroughly evaluated. But Children’s Minister Karen Chhour is pushing ahead, saying the actions of one shouldn’t stop the other young men having opportunities to better their lives.
The military-style academy scheme is intended for serious youth offenders. The 10 taking part in the pilot were aged 15-17 at the time of offending.
It includes a period of three months in a youth justice residence, followed by nine months transitioning the participants back into the community. The residential component of the pilot ended on October 16.
In a statement on Thursday, Chhour said she was disappointed with the news, but she believed it would be naïve to think none of those who participated would reoffend.
“I’m saddened that this young person has not taken this opportunity at a second chance.
“We were hopeful this would not occur, but we understand the complexities in the lives of these young people. Ultimately, what they do with these opportunities is up to them.”
She said the pilot had learnt from previous military-style programmes, with a key differentiating factor being that support was given to the participants after they left the residence and returned to the community.
“I am confident the residential stage of the Military-Style Academy pilot is having success.
“Several of the boys left the programme with jobs already lined up. Each one has a mentor who is working with them and there is intensive, tailored support for each young person.”
The Government’s legislation, which was introduced on Monday and is expected to have its first reading on Thursday, would give the Youth Court the ability to send some serious young offenders, aged between 15 and 17, to a military-style academy.
The Green Party’s justice spokeswoman Tamatha Paul urged the minister to hit “pause on legislating the boot camps until the pilot is complete and has had the chance to be evaluated before pushing forward later today”.
That was echoed by Labour’s deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni.
“They should absolutely pause [the legislation]. There is no evidence to support that boot camps work internationally.
“We’ve had a Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuse in state care which highlighted the dangers and history of boot camps in this country. This is a pilot and yet they are acting prematurely to make other legislative changes around it.”
Speaking to reporters, Chhour defended going ahead with the legislation.
“I’m not going to sit here in a few years time and have a failure of not trying anything.
“These young people deserve an opportunity to be the best they can be and I’m going to provide those opportunities.
“What those young people do with those opportunities is in their hands, but it is a bit like taking away support services from drug and alcohol addiction because one person decides to drink.”
She said others in the programme were “thriving”.
“Why should that opportunity be taken away from them because of one person’s actions.”
Winston Peters, the Deputy Prime Minister, said one person reoffending “does not mean that the idea is a bad idea at all”.
“We wouldn’t have backed it unless we thought it was going to be successful. It will be.
“The problem is you have all these people shouting it down before it’s even started and they have no alternative plans at all to turn that sort of juvenile crime around.”
He believed the legislation should still go ahead before the pilot ended.
The boot camp policy attracted significant criticism when it was announced during the election campaign, with Opposition politicians pointing to previous boot camps that had little impact on reoffending.
For example, a 2016 report on a previous military-style activity camp found 84% of participants reoffended within 12 months. The Government has said its new programme is different from this.
A report on youth offending in 2018 by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, the then-Prime Minister’s Chief Science Adviser, concluded that boot camps didn’t work.
The Herald spoke with Oranga Tamariki’s youth justice service national director in October – after the residential component ended – and he acknowledged three months in the programme wouldn’t be enough to change behaviours learned through a long history of offending.
“We must accept that mistakes may get made along the way and we are completely eyes wide open to that,” he said.
After the residential component of the pilot wrapped up in October, Chhour said she expected there to be “bumps along the road”.
“I am proud of the work they are putting in and the effort they and their families are making at turning their lives around. I hope these young people take advantage of every opportunity they are offered through this pilot. The outcome of their future is now in their hands.”
She said when they left the residence they were given a “kitbag” made up of practical items like an IRD number, a CV, a bank account and photo ID.
“Items that can be taken for granted but are important basic building blocks to participate in wider society.”
Chhour said each participant also had their own mentor to support them through the community stage.
The Herald earlier this month revealed a Cabinet committee document highlighted the risks of providing use-of-force powers to staff when they are looking after the youth outside of the residences, including that it may be seen as increasing the “potential risk of abuse in custody”.
Another leaked email this week revealed government departments had concerns about how military-style academies would uphold the rights of children.
In response to agencies’ feedback, the email shows Oranga Tamariki made several changes to a Cabinet committee paper on the proposed legislation establishing the boot camps, including providing more details about safeguards against the use of force.
Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub Press Gallery office.
China thinks NZ has signed up to a big Belt and Road project. Luxon disagrees.